Aftermath
by okteiviablake
Summary: The group deals with the consequences of the time traveler's visit. [Time Traveler sequel]
1. Part I

**Part I**

The day was fading into night as they reached their destination, all of them worn out and feeling defeated despite the victory. Octavia could feel that something was wrong. No one would tell her what had happened, how they had all gotten out, how it was possible that Pike was dead at the hands of the vengeful Trikru. They wouldn't even meet her eyes for more than a second.

Kane had sent Miller and Bryan to go find Clarke. Why they needed to find Clarke, she didn't understand. Clarke had made her choice to stay in Polis, hadn't she?

When the group finally arrived at the cave, Octavia looked up at the darkening sky and saw that the rain had stopped. Bellamy was still there, chained up to the cave wall. When he saw them, he stood up.

As Kane entered the cave, he glanced at Bellamy with a disappointed look. Bellamy had broken everybody's trust. His mentor and father figure stared at him like he was a stranger, his sister hated him. He'd lost them both.

"Where's Indra?" Octavia asked her brother.

"Left, said she's sorry."

She nodded. If the Commander really had died like Kane had told her, it made sense that Indra would want to be there. Lincoln looked at Bellamy with a concerned expression. She saw it and said without mercy, "He's fine".

Shortly after, Octavia stood watching as Lincoln bid farewell to Denae and the other grounders that had been imprisoned in Arkadia.

"Go easy on him," Kane told her, repeating her future self's words. "He was just trying to do the right thing."

"Yeah," she muttered "by getting himself killed."

Kane looked down, hoping he could help them. Then, when Lincoln had returned, he announced, "We'll stay here tonight. We wait for the others to come back with Clarke, then we move on, plan our next move."

"Move on to where exactly?" Sinclair asked as he hover over an unconscious Raven like a mother bird.

"We don't know yet," Kane stated "Abby will reach out soon. She's our inside man in Arkadia."

"That's too dangerous," Bellamy exclaimed. "Pike's on high alert, he's gonna catch her."

"Pike's dead," Kane informed him coldly. He turned back to the others. "Thanks to our source, we know what's coming."

"What source?"

It was Octavia who'd spoken. Everyone froze. She wasn't supposed to know about their visitor from the Future.

"That doesn't matter now," Kane said, dismissing her. Octavia looked at him in disbelief. Why wouldn't he tell her who this mysterious source was?

"The threat is real, and it's already here," he continued.

"Yeah, yeah. The homicidal A.I. who destroyed the world almost a century ago and is trying to do it again now… This whole thing sounds insane, Kane. You know that, right?" she thundered, then, crossing her arms, demanded, "And how do you even know you can trust this source of yours?"

Kane smiled at her. "We can."

"Then tell me who it is." When nobody answered, she fumed, "Something is going on and you're not telling me about it."

They looked away, avoiding her accusing eyes.

Octavia sighed and shook her head. "You know what, I need some fresh air." She got up to walk out of the cave. Then, when she heard Lincoln following her, stated firmly, " _Alone_."

Everybody stared as she walked away and stomped out of cave.

"We can't keep her in the dark forever," Sinclair argued patiently.

"We're not supposed to tell her," Kane lamented.

"Why?" Lincoln demanded.

Kane shrugged. "She didn't say."

Lincoln shook his head, frustrated. Suddenly, he remembered the other Octavia. He'd barely had a change to understand what had been going on before she'd tranqued him. He hadn't even gotten a good look at her.

"Was she okay?"

Kane nodded. "She seemed to be."

"She looked different," Lincoln mused, almost to himself.

"She _was_ different."

Bellamy was listening intently to the conversation, trying to understand what was going on. What were they talking about? Who was _she_?

"She said losing you broke her. That when she lost herself too," Kane went on. "She came back here for you, to save you."

Lincoln smiled slightly. His love, so brave and strong, capable of crossing time and space for him, for them. He would be eternally grateful.

"And we won't keep Octavia in the dark forever, just until this blows over," Kane told them, then joked, "Her powers will develop soon enough. We don't want to get on her bad side."

They all shared a smile and a laugh, with the exception of Bellamy.

"Glad to see all of you think this is a joke. We're in the middle of a war here," he snapped.

Lincoln got up and walked toward him. "Yeah, a war you helped start."

"The war was always here, and Octavia's gonna end up getting herself killed in the middle of all of this. Is that what you want?"

"What I want is to protect her, always," Lincoln said, unflinchingly. "Even from you."

Then, he left to go find her.

Octavia was standing by a tree, looking out into the woods. Her arms crossed over her chest, her teeth grinding in frustration. _What the hell was going on? Why was everyone lying to her?_

She heard Lincoln's footsteps behind her, approaching.

"Thought we were in this together," she said.

"We are."

She turned to look at him. "Then why won't you tell me the truth? Why won't _anyone_ tell me the truth?" she demanded. He looked away. "You're all hiding something from me. You think I can't tell?"

"Okay..." What was he supposed to say? He couldn't tell her the truth, but he couldn't lie to her either. "You have every right to be mad about that–"

"Oh, that's not all I'm mad about," she sputtered suddenly. "What if it had been me? What if I'd done that? How would you be feeling right now, uh?"

Lincoln thought about her hypothetical death and shuddered. She continued, "You're _all_ I have left. What the hell was I supposed to do after you–" she stopped herself, taking a deep breath and trying to steady herself. "You were just going to leave me with nothing, without so much as a goodbye. You didn't even give me a choice!"

"And what choice did _I_ have?" Lincoln asked softly. "Was I supposed to just leave them behind to be executed because of me? Was I supposed to let you die with me?"

No, of course not. Octavia knew she would've done the same thing. She shook her head and cried harder, covering her face with her hands. His heart broke at the sight and he pulled her into his arms. She held him back tightly, hiding her face in his neck.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again," she sobbed, holding him to her like she would never let go. "I love you."

"I love you," Lincoln said as he held her tighter and nuzzled her neck. He pulled back to kiss the cut on her cheek, her bruised eye. " _Moba_ _ ***1**_."

 _Moba_. I'm sorry.

Lincoln kept repeating the word over and over, in an effort to both show his sorrow at hurting her so much and comfort her. He kissed her skin everywhere he could reach. _Moba. Moba._

He kissed her lips. The kiss started tender, then turned passionate, possessive. It had been so long since they'd been alone together, since they'd touched. Hungry for each other, taken by pure lust and need, they gave in. He pushed her against a tree and started pulling at the opening of her jacket, taking it off. Leaning down, he took off her boots and worked on pulling down her jeans and underwear. Octavia pulled at his pants, then fell on him, straddling his hips. She sank down, and, bracing her hands on his chest, rode him.

Afterward, Octavia lay in his arms. Her head was on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She'd almost lost him today. The steady thump-thump of his beating heart calmed her. _He was okay_ , she reassured herself, _He was here_.

"Octavia..."

"Shhh..." she whispered, closing her eyes and burrowing closer to him.

 _Thump-thump. Thump-thump._

He kissed her forehead softly and whispered, " _Ai hod yu in_ _ ***2**_." Octavia smiled and felt the tears return. Tears of joy, this time. Then, she remembered the reason why she'd walked out of cave in a fury, and pulled herself up so she could look him in the eyes.

"Tell me what's going on, Lincoln," she pleaded. "What's everyone hiding from me?"

He reached up and touched her cheek tenderly. "I promise I'll tell you when this is over."

She ground her teeth in frustration, but nodded. "I'm holding you to that," she warned.

Settling back down next to him, she closed her eyes and hoped he would keep his promise.

"We should probably go back, uh?" she asked, unwilling to move. Despite the cold winter air that chilled her skin, it felt so good to be in his arms. They were still mostly clothed, with the exception of her jacket, jeans and underwear. Her discarded jacket lay covering her exposed parts.

Octavia looked at him again. This beautiful, honorable to a fault, amazing man she loved and had the incredible luck of having him love her back. They leaned in for a kiss. She knew that, together, they were strong enough to withstand anything. There was no enemy, no homicidal A.I., no war that could break them. Whatever happened, they would be okay.

* * *

When they went back inside, Kane was on the walkie talking to Abby.

"How are things over there?"

"I couldn't risk an uprising, so the few remaining followers Pike had have been sent to lockup," Abby said over the walkie. Monty looked down, thinking about his mother. "The same with Jaha and his people. They were a danger to Arkadia. I couldn't let them walk around freely, especially knowing what we know now."

Kane glanced at Octavia for a single second, and told Abby, "I agree."

"Abby, listen. We might still have a ways to go here. I think we're gonna need the Rover."

"Okay, I'll send Sergeant Miller," Abby told him. "We can trust him."

"Tell him to leave the Rover by the south wall, near the passage exit. Harper will pick it up."

Harper nodded, agreeing.

"Abby…" Kane continued. "be careful."

There was a heartfelt pause. "You, too."

They disconnected.

Harper left to get the Rover and Kane turned to the others. "You should all rest up, while you still can."

"There's a river near here. I'll go out to fish something for dinner," Lincoln announced. Then, to Octavia he said, "You should stay here, get some rest."

She started to protest, but he pressed on. "Just for a little while," he pleaded. After the past few hours, or rather the past few days, she needed it. Octavia could hardly remember the last time she'd slept, but she wasn't about to let him out of her sight.

"I can't rest after we come back." She went to get the fishing net she'd been using lately, and said, "Let's go."

Lincoln sighed and smiled at her stubbornness.

"We'll be right back," Octavia announced as she took Lincoln's hand. They walked out of the cave.

* * *

About two hours later, Lincoln and Octavia returned with 3 trouts. He carried two of them, and she carried the other and a few large leaves that would serve as plates.

"Oh, here, let me help you guys," Jasper said, getting up.

Octavia held one of the fish out to him. Seeing his squeamish expression, she smiled. He looked at the fish in her hand dubiously and backed out. "Then again, I could just watch Raven…"

She nodded knowingly. "Yeah."

The young boy returned to sit next to where Monty and Sinclair hovered close to a still unconscious Raven. Lincoln and Octavia set to work. She took off her jacket and gloves and sat by the fire next to him. Together, working in unison and harmony, they prepared the fish and put it over the fire.

They were the middle of cooking their meal when Harper returned.

"Thank God!" Harper groaned when she saw what they were doing. "I'm starving…"

"The Rover?" Kane asked.

"Outside, about half a mile from here. I drove with the headlights off, just in case."

He smiled and gave a small nod of appreciation. "Good job, Harper."

She nodded, and went straight to where Octavia was cutting up the fish and placing them on leaves. She took one and sat down next to Monty. Octavia thought she saw something between them. There was something in the way she looked at him. Octavia remembered looking at Lincoln the same way when they'd first fallen in love.

Kane took one of the leaves with cooked fish and brought it over to where Bellamy sat, looking forlorn. He handed the food silently. The two men shared a look, and Bellamy nodded once in thanks.

After they'd all eaten, they settle down for the night. Monty stood watch outside, Lincoln and Octavia huddled together, and Sinclair kept a close guard over Raven. Raven who, while everyone else rested, battled. She'd woken up a hour ago and was trying to keep Alie out by maintaining her mind busy. Reviewing her old Zero-G text books, singing songs she knew by heart, anything she could think of, over and over and over again, all in the effort of trying to muffle Alie's voice in head. Alie had been showing Raven her own most painful memories, trying to get her to submit. But Raven fought, _hard_.

It was almost dawn when Miller and Bryan came back with Clarke, Monty following behind them. The others got up from their restful position when they entered.

Clarke was shocked when she saw Bellamy chained up to the wall.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"He's our prisoner for the time being," Kane stated. "But that's not why we brought you here."

"Wait!" Raven grunted suddenly, then turned her head toward Sinclair and Jasper's direction and pleaded, "Guys…"

Sinclair winced and asked, "Again?"

Alie was listening to their conversation through Raven and she wouldn't let the bitch get any details. She nodded and the older man who was like a father to her picked up one of the last tranq darts and gave her another dose. Raven was out like a light.

Clarke stared in horror. "What the hell is going on?"

So, Kane told her. He told her about Alie and her plan to leave the world in ruins again, about the chips, about Alie 2 - the second version of the program, which also happened to be the flame in grounder creed, about Raven's condition. He told her as much as he could without mentioning their time traveling friend.

"Our source helped us out and we fled Arkadia," he finished.

Clarke stopped short, her thought going immediately to one person. "My mom, is she okay? Why isn't she here?"

"Abby's our inside man. She's fine," Kane swore, smiling at her. Then, he pressed on to more important matter. "To save Raven, to get that thing out of her head, we're going to need one of the 100's wristbands. Our source said you knew where to find one…"

She thought about it and nodded. _Niylah._ "Yeah, I do. But who's this source? How would they know all of this?"

That's what Octavia still yearned to find out. But Lincoln had promised to tell her later, and so she would try her best to remain calm and patient, and trust that he would tell her the truth when the time came.

"Someone we can trust," was all Kane told Clarke.

In the end, they decided that Harper, Miller and Bryan should stay behind at the cave. Lincoln and Octavia took Helios, and Kane drove the Rover with Clarke by his side, showing him the way; the others rode in the back of the car.

As soon as they stopped in front of Niylah's house, the woman herself came outside. She was armed with a machete and she looked pissed.

Clarke got out first, hoping to calm her down.

"Skaikru aren't welcome here," Niylah hissed.

"Niylah, please," Clarke implored. "We need your help."

"My father was massacred by Skaikru in a bloody field, trying to _help_ them."

Octavia looked down, feeling ashamed and disgusted that her own flesh and blood had taken part in the deaths of the 300 peaceful, sleeping Trikru warriors, her people, who had been there to protect Skaikru. Including Niylah's father and Gavriel's parents.

She and Lincoln dismounted the horse, and the others exited the Rover. Seeing Raven in Sinclair's arms, Niylah softened. She couldn't stand seeing a suffering soul.

"Niylah… please," Clarke pleaded again.

The other woman nodded reluctantly and motioned them to enter her home. Inside, Niylah showed them the way to her bedroom, where Sinclair deposited Raven on the bed. The others followed.

"The last time I was here, you had a silver wristband. It was one of ours. Do you still have it?" Clarke asked Niylah urgently. When she frowned, Clarke explained, "We need it to save her."

Niylah nodded and went to go get it. When she returned, Clarke told her, apologetic, "We're gonna need the room to ourselves. When she wakes up, she can't see you. It would put us all in danger. Please."

The other woman hesitated, but nodded and left the room.

While Sinclair and Monty set out to work on the EMP and the wristband, trying to figure out what Raven had planned to do with them, Clarke returned to the main room where the others stood talking softly to their host.

When Niylah saw her approaching, she made herself busy elsewhere.

"Can you get that thing out of her head?" Octavia asked Clarke.

She nodded. "I think so. I've seen be done." Her eyes went wide, threatening to fill with tears at the thought of Lexa dying while she stood there, helpless to save her.

"It's a good thing they found you then," Lincoln said, looking relieved.

That reminded Clarke of more important things. "I was actually on my way to find _you_."

He frowned. Clarke pulled the small tin box that carried the flame out of her long coat, held it up to Lincoln and stated firmly, "I need you to help me find Luna."

"Why?"

"She's our last hope," she said, placing the box back in its place protectively, and quickly explained what was happening in Polis. With Ontari as the new self-proclaimed Commander, and now the threat of Alie, the future seemed very bleak.

Then, they heard a loud scream coming from Niylah's room. _Raven_. She'd woken up and now Alie was trying to make her submit again. They all rushed toward the sound. Clarke pointed at Niylah, who was standing across the room, and ordered, "Stay here! Please!"

"Raven… Raven, stop!" Monty pleaded, trying for calm her down, as the others walked in the room.

"Stop! Get out of my head!" Raven yelled, She kept screaming, trashing on the bed as Lincoln and Bellamy held her down from either side.

"We don't have any more tranqs," Monty told them, looking terrified.

They were running out of time.

Clarke turned to Sinclair. "Is the EMP ready?"

"Yeah," he replied, bringing it over.

"Then do it!" she demanded.

And so Sinclair did it. Raven went rigid, grunting. Everyone stared in horror. Then, she slumped down, unconscious. Clarke pressed two fingers to her neck, checking her vitals. _Please, let her be okay._

"Is she alright?" Kane wanted to know.

"She's alive," she informed them, relieved. Then, she retrieved the scalpel from the tin box. Kane had already explained to her exactly how it should be done, according to his mysterious source; and she'd seen Titus to this to Lexa not a week ago. "Now for the next part…" She nodded toward Lincoln and Bellamy, who were standing on either side of the bed, and ordered, "Turn her on her side."

The two men did as they were told.

Clarke made a vertical incision on the back of Raven's neck. At first, only blood came out, but then, a silvery chrome-like liquid came pouring out of the cut on her skin. That must have been what was left of the chip. When it had all come out, Clarke turned Raven back toward her. She was still unconscious.

"Now what?" Bellamy asked.

"Now we wait."

When nothing had happened, Clarke shook Raven's shoulders gently.

"Raven," Clarke called her friend's name, slightly tapping on her cheek. "Raven, come on…"

Raven awoke slowly and painfully. Wincing, she sat up on the bed. Reaching back to touch the cut behind her neck, she laughed, "Ow…" She was actually happy to feel pain. Raven was finally free, no longer under Alie's control.

"Welcome back, Reyes," Octavia said happily, taking her hand.

She smiled back at her friends.

They all rejoiced as Raven showed signs of being back to normal. And, with what they'd just witnessed, any disbelievers there might still be among them quickly turned into believers.

Later, in Niylah's main room, Kane handled the walkie.

"Miller. Miller, come in. Over," he spoke into the device.

A few seconds later, Miller replied, "We're here, Kane. Over."

"Raven's okay. Contact Abby to make sure it's safe to return. It's time to go home. Over and out."

It was agreed that Clarke, Lincoln, Octavia and Bellamy would go to find Luna, hoping she would agree to take the flame and become the next Commander, while the others would pick Harper, Miller and Bryan up from the cave and return home. They said their goodbyes and watched as Kane and the others loaded a recovering Raven into the Rover, before going in themselves.

After they'd gone, Clarke turned toward Niylah to thank her one last time, and the others, noticing the tension between them, made themselves scarce. Bellamy hovered nearby, and Lincoln and Octavia bid goodbye to Helios, as they had decided that where they were going was no place for a horse, and Niylah had promised to take good care of him. Still, it hurt to say goodbye to the animal who'd become almost like a baby to her. Octavia could feel her heart breaking, but this was the right thing to do.

Then, they bid farewell to Niylah and left on foot to find Luna and, with any luck, save the world.

* * *

"It's just up ahead," Lincoln declared as they neared the edge of the woods. He was holding Octavia's hand in his as they walked and squeezed it. They'd been walking for hours, and now, they could already hear the sound of water rushing from somewhere close. Soon after, they arrived at a stony shore. There was nothing there with the exception of a circle of figure like shapes made up of stones.

Lincoln told them they needed to make a fire, then he grabbed a branch from a nearby tree, pulled a few of the leaves and threw them in the fire. It changed, a green flame shining brightly.

"Signal fire?" Octavia asked, marveling at the color.

He looked up at her, smiling. "Yeah."

"And now?" Clarke wanted to know. They all looked at him expectantly.

Lincoln sat down in front of the fire and kept feeding the fire. "We wait."

Octavia settled down next to him, helping him with the task, and the others followed suit. About an hour later, Lincoln announced, "They're here."

He was staring into the water. The others looked in the same direction and saw the ripples in the water. Suddenly, four people emerged from the it, wearing special gear and carrying weapons.

Their leader was a tall man with light brown skin and a bald head, his face bore a big tattoo and a handful of scars. He seemed to recognize Lincoln.

"Lincoln," he greeted with a nod.

To which Lincoln replied the same way. "Atticus."

Then, glancing at Octavia and the others, Atticus asked, "Who are they?"

"Friends. You can trust them," Lincoln told him matter-of-factly. "We need to see Luna. It's urgent."

The other man nodded and retrieved a case with glass vials from a pouch. He took three of them and handed each of the vials to Octavia, Clarke and Bellamy. Lincoln didn't need one. He'd been to the Rig before and Luna knew and trusted him. There was no need for secrecy with him.

Octavia looked at the vial in her hand dubiously. Then, she looked to Lincoln.

"Safe passage?" she asked, remembering the Trigedasleng words he'd taught her, back when they were first supposed to come here. It seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since...

Lincoln nodded. Octavia trusted him more than anyone else, trusted him with her life. So, she took the lid off the vial.

"Cheers," she lifted the vial and gulped it down. She felt the world spinning, felt herself go weak. As she collapsed, Lincoln caught her in his arms.

"Octavia!" Bellamy yelled, trying to reach her, but the grounders stopped him.

"She's okay," Lincoln promised.

"If only she drinks, only she goes," Atticus told Bellamy and Clarke.

When the others looked at their own vials, frowning, Lincoln explained, "A safe passage only remains safe by being secret."

Resigned, they sat down on the ground and drank the liquid.

* * *

Octavia woke up in Lincoln's arms.

"Hey... Welcome back," he said sweetly.

Still feeling groggy, she looked around. All she could see were metal walls surrounding them. "We're here?"

"Yeah, we're here."

She smiled up at him. "We finally made it," Octavia teased, raising an eyebrow. Lincoln returned the smile and he leaned down for a kiss.

"Come on." He helped her up.

Taking another glance at their surroundings, Octavia realized they were inside a metal container. Then, she looked to where her brother and Clarke lay. They were beginning to wake up, too. Noticing this, Lincoln knocked twice on the metal door and it opened. Atticus stood on the outside.

"She's waiting," he told Lincoln.

Atticus led them to a room filled with people. When they entered, they all stared at them curiously.

"Luna's in there," he said, nodding toward a door. Clarke moved forward determined, but he stopped her, then looked at Lincoln. "She'll only see you."

"No. I _have_ to see her," Clarke protested.

Lincoln nodded, backing her up. "Please."

The man studied them. "Wait here."

Then he went into the adjoining room where Luna waited. Moments later, the door opened and he gestured them in. "Both of you, come on."

Lincoln looked at Octavia and she gave him a smile of reassurance and a kiss. "Good luck."

She and Bellamy watched them walk away and sat down in a corner to wait for what would, hopefully, be good news.

* * *

Lincoln and Clarke walked into the room where Luna stood, barefoot as was her habit, waiting for them.

"Lincoln, it's been a while," Luna greeted him with a smile. Then, she sobered. "I hear you have something urgent to talk to me about."

Clarke stepped forward. "Yes, we do."

Luna glanced at her, narrowing her eyes. "Go on."

"You're the last of your kind, Luna, the last Nightblood."

"Lexa's dead?" Luna asked Lincoln.

He nodded seriously, and she closed her eyes mournfully.

Clarke went on, trying to swallow the pain that still lingered from Lexa's death, "Her spirit chose you to become the next Commander." She took the small tin box that held part of her heart from the inside of her jacket and showed it to Luna. "This is your birthright. Titus entrusted me with the Flame."

"Then he should've told you that I left my Conclave swearing to never kill again."

"You don't have to kill," Clarke told her. "To lead is your birthright, _how_ you lead is your choice."

Luna still looked reluctant and distant.

"Here, look…" Clarke opened the box and removed the Flame, holding it up for Luna's inspection.

"I recognize the sacred symbol," she said. "but what is it?"

" _This_ is the Flame. It holds the spirits of the Commanders before you, of Lexa."

Luna stared at the Flame, speechless. Clarke took the chance to make the proposal. "Please, Luna… Will you accept it and become the next Commander?"

There was a pause. Then, Luna said, "No."

"Will you at least listen?" Lincoln insisted.

Luna hesitated, almost said that she'd heard enough, but nodded. Lincoln was her good friend and she trusted him.

"You're our last hope. If you don't accept this, we're all doomed. It will be the end of the world as we know it," Lincoln explained. "I'm sorry to lay this burden on you, but we _need_ you."

"I can't, Lincoln. I can't go back to that."

"You don't understand–" Clarke attempted to speak again.

"No, you don't understand," Luna interrupted, trying to stay calm. "I killed my own brother at the Conclave. And I left it, swearing I would never hurt, never kill again. And now you want me to go back there?" she shook her head. "No… I'm _never_ going back."

"It doesn't have to be like that. Before she died, Lexa changed the way things are done. _Just drein_ _no_ _jus daun_ _ ***3**_ , Blood must _not_ have blood," Clarke told her. "You can keep the peace. There's no need for war. You can carry on with Lexa's new peaceful way."

"I can't imagine the people were very receptive to that whole new idea," Luna muttered.

Clarke grinned. "No, but that didn't deter Lexa from doing the right thing. And they had to accept their _Heda_ 's ** _*4_** decision."

Luna considered.

"Lexa really did that?" she asked Lincoln. " _Jus drein_ _no_ _jus daun_?"

He nodded. "She did."

Luna thought for a moment. Then, quietly, she told Clarke, "I'd like a moment alone with Lincoln."

"Luna..." Clarke tried again. But Luna shot her a look that silenced her, and Clarke left the room. She hoped Lincoln could convince Luna. Otherwise, they were all screwed.

Alone with Luna, Lincoln pleaded again, "The entire world is at stake, Luna. This is bigger than any of us. There's a new threat out there, like nothing we've ever faced before. I'll let Clarke explain better later, she understands it better than I do. The point is… we need you."

She remained quiet, thoughtful.

"You know I wouldn't ask something like this of you if we had another choice," he went on. "I'm begging you."

Lincoln stopped talking and decided to give her some time to think.

Luna paced the room slowly, restlessly, her decision forming in her mind. Suddenly, she stopped and turned back to Lincoln. She nodded, resigned. "Alright, I'll do it." Lincoln looked up at her, joyful and relieved. She help up a hand. "But I have a condition."

* * *

As soon as Lincoln left the room, Clarke rose from her seat.

"And?" she demanded when he reached them.

Instead of answering, Lincoln went to Octavia's side and offered her his hand. "Come here," he asked her. Octavia frowned, but took his hand and stood to follow him. To the others, he simply said, "Give me us a minute," before he pulled her aside, away from prying eyes and ears.

"Luna says she'll do it," he revealed.

Octavia beamed at him. "That's great!"

"But she has a condition. I have to stay here and lead them," he said, nodding toward the people. She frowned, thought about it. Then, she shrugged and smiled. "Then I guess we're staying."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"I just figured you'd want to go with your brother, be a part of the fight."

Sure, Octavia wouldn't mind a round with the damn A.I. bitch who was trying to destroy them all, but she was certain her friends could handle it and she was so tired of war. As for Bellamy… Well, there had been a time, not too long ago, when she'd been more than willing to sacrifice herself on a battlefield just to stay by her brother's side. Now, their relationship was strained and uneasy. Part of her would never forgive him for mindlessly murdering 300 of her people.

"Actually, I think some distance might be good for us right now." Then, she shrugged, smiling slightly. "Besides, coming here together was always the plan anyway, right?" She cupped his face. "Where you go, I go."

Lincoln took her face in his hands. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

They leaned in for an incredibly sweet, yet passionate kiss.

Just then, Luna joined the crowd. Octavia recognized her at once from one of Lincoln's drawings. Luna looked to Lincoln, who smiled and nodded, accepting her condition. She nodded seriously in return and went to address the people.

Everyone gathered together to listen to their leader and she held a closed fist in the air to silence them.

"There's going to be a change in leadership around here," she announced. "My duty has called me to become Commander." The people gasped in shock and Clarke breathed a sigh of relief. Luna went on, "I leave for Polis very soon, but I'm leaving you in very good hands." She motioned Lincoln to come forward and stand next to her. Octavia smiled proudly at him as he did so. "I've chosen Lincoln to guide you. There's no one I trust more for the job. He will not let you down."

Lincoln hoped she was right.

"You are all my family and you will always be in my heart," Luna continued. "But now I must fulfill my duty and reclaim my birthright as Commander of the 13 Clans."

* * *

Clarke performed the Ascension ceremony soon after as _Fleimkepa_ , a role Titus had entrusted her with. It was a private ceremony, with only Luna herself, Clarke and Derrick present in the room.

Luna sat backwards on a chair, bent over slightly. Clarke had parted her wild hair down the middle, on the nape of her neck, exposing her skin. Luna reached for Derrick's hand and he took it, giving it a squeeze.

"This is going to hurt," Clarke warned, holding the scalpel in her hand.

The other woman nodded and Clarke made a vertical incision down the back of Luna's neck, and placed the Flame - or rather, Alie 2 in its crystal matrix form - inside.

Luna gasped. "I can feel it…" she exclaimed, in shock and wonder. She held on tighter to her love's hand. "Derrick, I can feel it."

Clarke finished her work by stitching the cut closed, and using their tattooing tools to gently draw the sacred symbol of the Commander on the back of Luna's neck, over where she'd placed the flame.

Then, Luna slowly got up from the chair with Derrick's hand always in hers, and before them, stood _Heda_ Luna.

* * *

While Luna ascended, Octavia transformed.

She and Lincoln would be staying here on the Rig, away from the war and the chaos of the outside world. The war was over for them. They would live in peace and harmony. Together, they could make a good life here. Well, provided Luna and Clarke managed to save the world, that was.

She'd befriended Shay, a young girl from the Rig, while they'd waited for Clarke to return with Luna. The girl had wanted to show Octavia her room and while they were there, Octavia decided it was time for a change.

Looking at herself in the mirror, in Shay's room, Octavia removed her weapons, her jacket, her fingerless gloves, undid her warrior braids... Slowly, piece by piece, she shed the warrior. She would always be a warrior at heart, but their life was here now, so she put that part of herself away.

With the girl's help, she'd gotten some new clothes that fit her slim frame well and fixed her hair. Octavia wore it down now, in a simpler hairstyle, with only a few braids adorning it. Glancing at her reflection again, she noticed how different she looked. Softer, gentler somehow. Younger.

Octavia, then, went to meet up with the others by the containers to say goodbye to Luna and the others. When Lincoln saw her, he was utterly awestruck. She looked so beautiful.

"Hey," he greeted her, a slow smile creeping on his lips.

She smiled brightly at him. "Hey."

"You look different."

"Yeah, I just needed a change," she told him, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear, a little self-conscious.

"I like it," he said, before leaning in to kiss her gently.

They shared a smile.

Bellamy and Clarke looked on, witnessing their exchange. Clarke smiled softly at their love, before going into the container that would carry them to the ship and then to land.

Derrick followed her, while Luna glanced around at the Rig and its people, saying goodbye. How would they treat her once she reached Polis? Would they accept her as their Commander or would they shun her and still think of her as a deserter, a traitor? She had refused the call to become _Heda_ once… But she wouldn't let her people down, not when the fate of the world was at stake. She would rise up and perform her duties. And she would work hard on keeping the peace.

She turned to Lincoln. They said goodbye in their grounder fashion – grasping each other's forearm and leaning in for a hug. "Take good care of them," Luna said.

"I will," Lincoln vowed. "Thank you, Luna."

"Thank _you_ , my friend."

They parted and Luna joined Derrick and Clarke. Lincoln and Octavia waved them farewell. _Good luck_ , Octavia wished them silently.

Before entering the container, Bellamy hesitated and turned back to look at his sister. He didn't want her in the middle of the war, but he didn't want to leave her behind either.

"Just go," Octavia told him, shaking her head.

Bellamy looked down, and joined the others inside the large metal box. Atticus had already handed the vials to Clarke and Bellamy. The two sat down and drank the drug before the door closed on them.

Lincoln put an arm over Octavia's shoulders, holding her close and kissing her head. She wrapped her arms his waist and held him back just as tightly as they watched the container lower to the ship that would carry them to shore.

After they'd gone, Octavia looked up at Lincoln and he leaned down to kiss her. Though they were still worried about the whole Alie situation, they decided to focus on their new responsibility, the people at the Rig. They could make something good here.

 **~ end of** ** _Part I_**

* * *

 ***1** – "I'm sorry."

 ***2** – "I love you."

 ***3** – "Blood must _not_ have blood."

 ***4** – "Commander's."


	2. Part II

**Part II**

They were very close to reaching the capital. Luna could already see it from afar, the tower. Part of her still couldn't believe she was back in Polis. As Commander, no less. On the way, Clarke had explained to her what was at stake, what their greatest threat was and how they planned to destroy it with her help. It all still seemed very strange to her, but she would do her best to help them save humanity.

Ontari sat on the throne, acting high and mighty, feeling good in the skin of the Commander. After years in servitude of the Ice Queen, she enjoyed being in power. She looked down at the people before her. They were hers; all of them belong to her. She could order their deaths or elevate their statuses. She could do whatever she wanted. Ontari kom Azgedakru was unstoppable.

The doors to the throne room burst open suddenly and Luna strode in, with Derrick, Clarke and Bellamy behind her. Clarke was surprised to see that Murphy still stood beside the false Commander. Ontari seemed a little more than upset to be so rudely interrupted.

"What's the meaning of this?" she demanded.

Luna stepped forward and declared, "My name is Luna, and I've come to reclaim my birthright as Commander."

Everyone present in the room gasped.

" _I_ am the Commander," Ontari fumed.

"Luna is the rightful Commander. I've already performed the Ascension ceremony," Clarke informed them, coming forth. Ontari's eyes flared with hatred and disbelief. "Before he died, Titus entrusted me with the Flame. He gave me the task to protect it and the true Commander as _Fleimkepa_."

"Luna…" Ontari scoffed. "Nia told me about you. Didn't you leave? Didn't you _abandon_ your people?"

Luna held the other woman's gaze unflinchingly. "I did leave, in the name of peace," she said. Ontari smirked, thinking herself victorious. Luna went on, "But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

"Sentinels, arrest them! I want them executed!" Ontari commanded, seething. The guards made no move. Her anger boiling, she yelled again, "I'm ordering you to kill them!"

"They don't take orders from you, Ontari," Clarke told her. "You never ascended. You're nothing but a false Commander, capable of murdering children in their sleep so she wouldn't have competition at the Conclave."

Ontari fumed. Then, she had an idea. "You want a Conclave? Very well..." She turned to Luna. "You're hereby challenged to a single combat, to the death."

Clarke closed her eyes for a moment. This was not the plan. She turned to her new friend. "Do you accept?"

Luna hesitated. She'd sworn to never kill again, but the stakes were impossibly high. One life to save thousands… It was worth it, she decided. She nodded solemnly. "Yes."

"Tomorrow, at first light," Ontari declared. Then, she rose from the throne and stalked toward Luna. "I can't wait to kill you and rip the Flame right out of you," she threatened under her breath. Derrick stepped forward, to protect his love, but Luna put a hand up to stop him. She could handle this insolent girl who thought she owned the world by herself. "And put it where it really belongs."

The next morning, the people of Polis gathered in the square where the duels took place, to watch the match between the two Commanders. Neither women had opted for a champion, they would fight for themselves. Clarke sincerely hoped that Luna could beat Ontari. From the Balcony, she presided over the match.

"We are here today to witness a single combat. Warrior against warrior, to the death," she explained. The warriors in question stood in the arena, facing Clarke. On their faces, they bore the war paint from their clans – Luna wore Trikru's black war paint and Ontari wore Azgeda's white war paint. "Each of you is allowed a weapon of your choice." Clarke motioned them to return to their corners where they would collect their weapons.

Luna went to where Derrick stood with Bellamy at his side, in the first row of the crowded square. Derrick handed Luna her sword and leaned in to kiss her. "Don't lose."

She smiled. "I won't."

Ontari picked up her chosen weapon from her newest pet. There was no doubt in her mind that could and _would_ win this fight and kill this traitorous coward. Then, the Flame would finally be hers and no one would be able to question her ever again.

The two women returned into the center of the arena and moved into position.

"Begin!" Clarke declared.

Ontari lunged at Luna with a swing of her sword, but Luna dodged her attack and struck back, hard. It had been years since she'd picked up a weapon with the intention to harm, but she hadn't lost the skill. And, even though Ontari fought dirty, Luna was an excellent fighter and it didn't take long to finish the match. Right before Luna plunged the sword into her, Ontari looked into the other woman's eyes and knew it was over. Luna struck and Ontari of Azgeda fell dead on the ground.

Murphy stared speechless as his captor fell. She was dead, it was over. Suddenly, he felt someone's gaze on him. He searched the crowd and found Emori looking at him. _Emori!_ How had she gotten here? When? He started to move toward her, but she disappeared in the crowd. He promised himself he'd find her later.

Clarke let out a sigh of relief after Ontari had fallen. They were one step closer to saving the world. " _Heda_ Luna!" she proclaimed happily from the balcony.

"Luna! Luna! Luna!" the crowd shouted.

They might've thought of Luna as a deserter, but no one in their right mind, who wasn't Azgeda, wanted a Commander from the Ice Nation. Especially one that wouldn't respect the sacred traditions of the Conclave.

Luna looked around, seeing the support she was receiving from the people. She glanced down at her hands, stained by Ontari's black blood. " _Ai laik Heda_ _ ***5**_ ," she said in an inaudible whisper. After all she'd been through on her conclave, including having to kill her own brother, after leaving all of this behind in the name of peace… she was back, she was the Commander. Something she'd never wanted to be. But if the world was at stake, it was worth it.

Then, she looked at Derrick. He looked relieved, proud even. Luna glanced at Clarke and the two shared a nod.

To announce herself as the new Commander of the Coalition and the continuation of the _jus drein no jus daun_ _ ***6**_ politics, Luna had decided to hold a summit in Polis. All the Clans had been summoned. Indra stood in the crowd, watching as Luna sat on her throne. As soon as she'd heard about the new Commander, and that it was Luna of all people, she'd set out to Polis at once.

Once Luna had finished her announcements, she told the ambassadors, "Let it be known." Then, she ended the summit and dismissed its participants.

In private, she asked Clarke, "When do we do this?"

"As soon as I return," Clarke replied. Luna looked confused, and she explained, "We're missing one vital element. I need to go back to Arkadia to get it. I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Take horses," Luna ordered. "You'll be faster that way."

Bellamy was waiting for her outside. As Clarke was leaving Luna's room, they ran into Indra.

"Indra!" Clarke exclaimed in surprise. She hadn't expected to see her there.

"Where's Octavia? How is she?" Indra wanted to know. The last time she'd seem her former second, it hadn't been her, but her future version. She expected that the latter was long gone, back to her own time, and she needed to know that the girl she cared for like a daughter, the present version of her, was alright.

"She and Lincoln stayed with the Boat People," Clarke told her. "He's their leader now. They're both okay."

Indra was surprised by the news, but ultimately, she was happy for them. And, even though she would miss them, she wished them well.

Bellamy, on the other hand, looked depressed. It made him sad to think of how far away his sister was, and of how much she still hated him for what he'd done. So, he tried to focus back on the matter at hand. "Clarke, we should go."

She nodded. She gave one final smile at Indra and they left.

As Clarke and Bellamy prepared to leave, Murphy scanned the streets of Polis for any sign of Emori. She couldn't have gotten far, and she wouldn't have left the city. Not without him. Right?

"Hey, stranger."

He turned at the abrupt sound of Emori's voice.

"Emori!" He smiled widely at the sight of her. He'd been trying for years to not let anyone in, to not be weak or vulnerable… but she was his weakness.

Emori ran and jumped into his arms. She pulled back to look at him. "I've seen it, John," she told him with a look of wonder. "The City of Light is real. Jaha was right."

Murphy's smile faded. He was all too aware of Alie, her City of Light and the part she'd played in the destruction of the planet almost a century ago. Somehow, the crazy bitch had taken over Emori.

"Emori, listen to me." Taking her face in his hands, he tried to warn her, "Whatever they told you, it's not true. You can't trust them."

"They didn't have to tell me anything, John. Don't you get it? I've seen it for myself. Otan is there. He said he died but… there is not death in the City of Light." She beamed at him, while Murphy just looked befuddled. "Oh John, it's so wonderful. I want you to see it for yourself. Alie says we have to return to island, to find a way to make more keys. We can take the boat today, right now."

She tried to pull him with her, but he pulled back, away from her. She looked at him, puzzled. How could he not understand the precious gift they were being presented with?

"John?"

Murphy walked behind Emori, while she stood frozen in shock at his refusal of Alie's gift. He saw a stick on the ground, picked it up.

"I'm so sorry," he said before hitting her over the head, knocking her out. He picked her up as she fell. Murphy promised himself he would find a way to save her. He wasn't going to lose anyone else he cared about.

Clarke and Bellamy were about to leave Polis when they ran into Murphy carrying an unconscious grounder girl.

"Murphy?" Clarke exclaimed in shock. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Emori needs help," he told them urgently. Then, he tried to explain about Alie and the City of Light, but they already knew all about it.

"She took the chip, too." Clarke said to herself. Then, she turned to Murphy. "I know how to save her, but we have to get to Arkadia. _Now_."

* * *

They reached Arkadia a few hours later. Clarke and Bellamy dismounted their horse, and Bellamy went to help Murphy with Emori, getting them off their mount. They'd had to tie her up and blindfold her along the way. Leaving the horses in the stables, they hurried toward the main door.

Abby rushed out to greet them. She immediately went to her daughter, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Clarke hugged her back, then pulled away. "We need to help her," she told her mother urgently, nodding toward the girl in Murphy's arms.

Clarke's mother and Arkadia's Chancellor went into Doctor mode at once. She nodded and gestured them in. "Come on."

Murphy carried his girlfriend to Medical while Chancellor Griffin ordered one of the guards to get Sinclair and the EMP device that Raven had built.

They performed the same procedure with Emori that they had with Raven. Much like what had happened with Raven, Sinclair used the EMP on her and Clarke turned Emori on her side and cut the back of her neck to remove the silvery chrome-like liquid of what remained of Alie's chip. Murphy, now out of those ridiculous robes, had never left her side the whole time.

He stared as Clarke cut Emori's neck. "Just like the A.I. in the Commander's neck…"

Clarke nodded in confirmation.

A few seconds later, Emori opened her eyes and moaned in pain.

"Hey…" Murphy kneeled beside the bed and took her hand.

"John?" she whimpered, then sobbed. "I'm so sorry, John."

"Shhh. It's okay."

"I thought taking the damn chip was the only way to find you again," she explained.

"It's okay." He held her in his arms, comforting her. "It's okay now."

Clarke stared in confusion. The John Murphy she'd known hadn't been like this at all.

After, when Emori was recovering, Clarke had sent for Raven. She'd been through the same thing. Maybe the two women could spend some time together, help each other.

Clarke sighed as she walked outside. She needed to get some fresh air, away from other people, before her next task.

Almost as soon as Clarke walked out of Arkadia and into the woods, someone jumped her, knocking her to the ground. "Hello, _Wanheda_ _ ***7**_ …" her attacker seethed. He turned around to face them and put his hands around her throat.

It was Emerson.

He had been up in a tree, watching over Arkadia. When he'd seen Clarke arrive, he knew this was his time to strike. He'd tried to control himself as best he could, he wanted to make her suffer for as long as he could. That little bitch had to pay for what she'd done. For his people. But then, she'd stepped outside the walls and, half-mad with rage, he couldn't help it anymore and jumped her.

"Murderer!" he yelled, on top of her, as he strangled her.

Clarke gasped for breath, she could feel the life leaving her. Then, suddenly, Emerson stopped chocking her and fell to the side. She looked up in confusion to see Sinclair over them, holding a steel pipe.

The guards had taken Emerson in, where he'd been sentenced by Chancellor Griffin to be executed. The sentence was to be carried out later that afternoon.

Meanwhile, Clarke still had a task to accomplish so she could return to Polis and save the world. She hoped Kane's source, whoever it may be, hadn't destroyed all of the chips. They were going to need one for Luna to enter the City of Light and end Alie.

Luckily, Raven knew just where to find one.

* * *

Raven entered the lockup room where Jaha and the other chipped people were being held quietly. Jaha looked up.

"Raven?"

"Shhh. Nobody knows I'm here," she lied skillfully. Then, begged, hot tears running down her face. "I need your help. I need you to save me again. Please, give me a key."

He looked doubtful.

"It just hurts so much. I can't take this pain anymore, Jaha. I don't want to hurt..." Raven cried. "I thought I could do this, could handle the pain, but I can't. I just want to go back and not hurt anymore. Please!"

Alie didn't understand human emotion and fell for Raven's trick. "Give it to her, Thelonious," she encouraged. "We need Raven back on our side."

Jaha took the chip from his pocket and placed it on the slot on the cell's door. Raven went to it in a hurry, opened the door to the slot and got the chip. Once she had it in her possession, her expression changed from despair to serenity.

"Thank you," she said with a cold smile and walked away with a slight limp as Jaha stared at her in shock. Her con had worked perfectly.

After Emerson's execution, Clarke prepared herself to leave for Polis. Luna was waiting for her and she'd promised to not be long. She'd agreed with Raven and the others to communicate with Arkadia during the whole process through radio. Raven would remain here at the computers where, with Sinclair and Monty's help, she would work on Alie's program and help Luna in her journey through the City of Light.

"Do you need me to go with you?" Abby asked Clarke as she prepared her horse.

"What about Arkadia? Aren't you needed here?"

"Kane is Vice-Chancellor. He can handle things here while I'm gone."

Clarke nodded, accepting her mother's help. "Okay, then. Let's go."

* * *

Clarke and Abby rode as fast as their horses' legs allowed. Between saving Murphy's girlfriend and the whole business with Emerson, they'd spent too much time in Arkadia. They had to get to Polis as soon as possible. Every second that passed was another second that Alie could get stronger and overpower them. Right now, they had the upper hand, they had to take it.

Commander Luna was waiting in her chambers. She'd been pacing the room slowly since the sentinels had announced Clarke's return. Soon enough, the guards who stood at her doors let Clarke inside. She was followed by an older woman.

"Luna, this is my mother, Chancellor Abby Griffin of Arkadia," Clarke introduced them. "Mom, this is Commander Luna."

"It's an honor to meet you, Commander," Abby said.

Luna nodded in greeting. "Likewise." Then, she turned to Clarke. "Do you have what you need?"

"Yes. We're ready when you are."

A few minutes later, Luna sat on a chair, trying to relax. This was happening. Derrick stood by her side, holding her hand, supportive as usual.

Abby placed a pulse oximeter on Luna's index finger.

"What is that?" Derrick demanded.

"It's to make sure she's okay," Abby explained.

"Raven, come in," Clarke said into walkie.

"I'm here. We're all set to go," Raven informed her. "You ready?"

"Ready. We're about to start."

"I'm already inside Alie's code. I'll guide the Commander as best as I can. Good luck."

"Thank you, Raven. Over and out," Clarke said.

She came forth, holding the chip out to Luna, who took it in her hand and looked back up at Clarke. "You're sure about this?"

Truth be told, she wasn't sure of anything, but she knew it was their best chance, so she nodded and tried smiling down at her reassuringly.

Luna nodded and, after one last look at Derrick, took the chip. She closed her eyes.

"She's in," Raven told them over the radio. "I see her."

Now they would have to wait and hope for the best.

For what seemed like an eternity, Luna sat like that, looking peaceful and relaxed. Every now and then, the pulse oximeter would beep louder and faster. Derrick never left her side, and Abby and Clarke kept a close eye on her while Raven described what was happening in the City of Light.

Then, Luna opened her eyes and gasped. She was back.

Abby went to the Commander's side at once.

"How are you feeling?" she wanted to know.

Luna brushed the other woman's hand away. "Fine." She looked at Derrick and promised, "I'm fine."

"What happened?" Clarke demanded.

"I was in a city of old, it was so different. And I kept seeing the sacred symbol everywhere. I think it was showing me the way. Then, I saw the symbol of a raven on a door. It must've been your friend," Luna said looking at Clarke. She nodded, smiling. _Thank you, Raven_.

"It guided me to a strange room," Luna went on. "There were two women there, they looked alike. One explained to me everything that was happening. She said her name was Becca."

"Bekka Pramheda?" Derrick asked, astonished.

Luna looked at him and nodded. "I think so."

"Go on," Clarke urged.

"The other woman was… odd. The way she spoke, the way she moved. She didn't look human."

"She wasn't," Clarke told her. "I think you saw Alie."

"There was a lever in the room. Becca said I had to pull it to destroy Alie, that it was the kill switch and that only I had the power and the control to do it."

"You pulled it?"

Luna nodded in confirmation. "I did."

"Clarke!" Raven's voice came through the radio. "Clarke, come in."

"I'm here," Clarke rushed toward the walkie and asked urgently, "What happened?"

"She did it! It's over. They're all back to normal," Raven rejoiced.

Clarke let out a huge sigh of relief. "You did it. You saved the world," she told Luna.

The other woman smiled back, then sobered. "I saw Lexa there."

"You did?" Clarke asked in shock, and Luna nodded. Lexa really was in the Flame. She felt the bitter disappointment; Clarke wished she could've seen Lexa one last time. "Was she okay?" she asked Luna. She wanted, _needed_ to know.

Luna could sense something in the way the two women spoke about each other with such reverence. They must have loved each other very much.

"Yes," she told Clarke earnestly. "She told me to trust you."

Clarke looked down, feeling the tears rise to her eyes. Even after she was gone, Lexa was still looking out for her.

"And I want to, Clarke," Luna continued. She looked to both Clarke and Abby. "but first, we have some business to discuss."

Abby went into Chancellor mode, straightening up and staring the Commander right in the eyes. "Alright."

"Is Skaikru still the 13th Clan of the Coalition?"

"We want to be, if you'll allow it."

Luna nodded, thoughtfully. "I'll allow it." Next, she turned to Clarke. "And will you stay as their Ambassador?"

Clarke nodded. "Yes."

"Very well. I'll send a guard to accompany the Chancellor back to Arkadia," Luna declared.

"Thank you."

"You can leave tomorrow, but you'll stay tonight," she told them, a smile playing at her lips. "I'm holding a feast. We have a victory to celebrate." Then, she called for one of the guards. "Guard!"

A guard opened the door to her room.

"Send word to the Rig," Luna commanded. "Tell them the danger is over."

* * *

Lincoln walked into their room. Octavia was still in bed. She'd been sleeping a lot more these days; and she'd been feeling unwell lately, so he'd let her sleep in.

"Octavia?" he called softly.

At the sound of his voice, she opened her eyes. She sat up, smiling. "Hey…"

He sat on the bed, facing her.

"A messenger arrived from Polis. Good news," he told her, smiling. "They did it. It's over."

Her eyes went wide and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Everything's okay?"

"Everything's okay," he confirmed.

Octavia breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been worried about their future. "That's good, because I have some news of my own." she pulled back, took his hands in hers and looked into his eyes. "I'm pregnant."

"Are you sure?"

Octavia nodded excitedly. "Yes!"

They embraced, tightly. _A baby_ , Lincoln thought happily.

He leaned his forehead on hers and beamed. "Oh… _ai niron_ _ ***8**_. I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

Unable to contain his joy, Lincoln leaned down to kiss her still flat belly and whispered softly in his native language. She didn't tell him yet, but deep down, Octavia had a feeling it was a girl.

Later, that night, they lay all cuddled up in bed, already half-asleep, his hand on her stomach, and a smile on both their lips. They were at peace, they were safe, and they were having a child together. There was a new world on the horizon, a promising one. They couldn't wait.

* * *

 ***5** – "I'm the Commander."

 ***6** – "(...) blood must not have blood."

 ***7** – "(...) Commander of Death."

 ***8** – "(...) my love."


	3. Outtake (from Part II)

Octavia woke up feeling a ticklish sensation on her stomach. She opened her eyes to find that Lincoln had lifted her shirt up and was now kissing the spot where their baby was, his beard tickling her. She'd only told him about the baby the day before, and since then, he hadn't been able to keep his hands off her, more specifically, her belly.

"Morning," she greeted him with a smile, stretching her arms above head.

Lincoln grinned up at her.

"You're already showing," he stated in wonder.

She rolled her eyes and laughed. He was so excited about the baby, he was seeing things. "No, I'm not."

He didn't argue, but there was a definite bulge on her lower abdomen. A little one, but still, it was there. But that wasn't the only thing different about her. She wasn't very far along, but he could already see the changes in her body. Beside the bulge (there was definitely a bulge), her breasts were fuller. He'd been so busy, trying to settle down and acclimate to life at the Rig, that he hadn't noticed these changes before.

With one hand still on her abdomen, Lincoln started kissing her neck. They were both still giddy with joy at the news that they were going to be parents. Then, her giddiness turned bitter as she remembered something.

"Lincoln?"

"Hmm?"

She pushed him away gently and sat up on the bed.

"Is now later?" she prodded, staring him in the eyes. "Will you tell me the truth now?"

Lincoln sat up, too. He studied her seriously. His loyalty was with Octavia. This Octavia, _his_ Octavia, not some future version of her. Besides, he'd promised her, and a promise was a promise. And so, he told her everything. About the time traveling, her powers, Pike's execution, and everything else.

"Say something," he begged after he was done.

Octavia just kept staring off at nothing, in disbelief. She felt like she was going to puke again, and not due to morning sickness. "What the hell?" she whispered.

"That was our reaction when she," he explained. Octavia looked at him. " _you_ , showed up."

She took a deep breath. "Well, with A.I.s running around trying to destroy the world, I guess the notion of time traveling isn't _that_ out of sorts." Lincoln smirked at her. Then she remembered something else. "And _powers_?"

His smile faded and he nodded. "She said she freaked out when the powers manifested."

"Yeah, I bet." Octavia sighed. "I'm sorry, this is just… incredibly confusing."

He took her hand, kissed it. "I know…"

After a moment, she spoke again. "If this thing is genetic, which it probably is…" she speculated. "I mean, is the baby gonna have powers, too?

He started to answer with soothing words of 'we'll figure something out' or 'we'll be okay', but her question made him think of something else.

"What if there's something wrong the baby?" Lincoln wondered. His voice was pure agony.

Octavia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Because of what the mountain men did to me, when they turned me into a Reaper," he shifted uncomfortably. "They changed me, Octavia. What if it affects the baby?"

"Hey, stop that." The thought scared her a little, but she took his face in her hands. "There's not gonna be anything wrong with the baby. Well, other than the kid might end up having weird superpowers like me..."

That made him laugh a little and she kissed his cheek. Neither of them could predict the future, but there was one thing they were absolutely sure of. Their baby would be the most loved child in the entire world.

Then, she looked down, frowning.

"What if I hurt the baby? With the… powers?" The word was still hard to get around.

"Now _you_ stop that…" Lincoln took her hands in his. "Whatever happens, I'll be with you the entire time. I promise."

Octavia looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity of his words. She nodded and went into his open arms, cuddling close. Everything would be okay as long as they were together.


	4. Part III

**5 years later**

 _July, 2155_

It was a hot summer day at the Rig. Octavia was leaning against a wall as she watched over her two great loves. Lincoln stood barefoot (he was almost always barefoot nowadays), teaching the children from the Rig how to fish. Lily was next to him, looking up brightly at her _Nontu_ _ ***1**_ as he showed the kids how to properly remove the fish from the net, all of them speaking in their native Trigedasleng. She'd never seen Lincoln so relaxed, so happy. And she'd never felt so in love with him.

Their Lily would turn 5 years-old in just four months. She'd been born in November, so close to Octavia's own birthday. Her baby girl had been the greatest gift she'd ever received. On her 18th birthday, the day she was supposed to have been executed on the Ark, Octavia had been on the ground, surrounded by people who cared about her, cuddling the love of her life and holding their little baby girl. Instead of death, she'd had life.

Octavia closed her eyes and listened to the water beneath them as she remembered.

She had felt so inept almost throughout the entire pregnancy. What did she know about babies? She was the youngest of her family and she'd never even seen a baby until after they'd landed on Earth. What the hell kind of mother would she become? She'd battled with the fear that she wouldn't be a good mother, that she would somehow screw her child up. However, when the midwife had placed her wailing newborn baby on her chest, all of Octavia's doubts and fears had vanished.

But she hadn't been the only one battling fears regarding the new life they were bringing into the world. Lincoln had had constant nightmares about the baby being born with red eyes or some sort of horrible deformation or illness, due to him having been turned into a Reaper in Mount Weather. However, his concerns had also been in vain. Their Lily was perfect in every way. And when she'd been born, the joy had been more than evident on both their faces as they beamed down at their baby daughter and at each other. All fears had been set aside, replaced with pride and wonder.

She'd secretly given Lily a second name – Belle, after Bellamy. Octavia and her brother were still estranged and there would always be a part of her that would never forgive him for what he'd done, but she did miss her big brother. But while she missed her brother, or rather the brother she used to know before he'd lost his way, she wouldn't trade this for anything. This was with her real family here. Lincoln was here, her _hou_ _ ***2**_.

Lincoln was so amazing. He'd even made Lily's crib all by himself. He had sent someone to shore to get wood and he'd carved out a little baby bed for their girl.

She couldn't have asked for a better father to her child.

Sometimes, when Lily had been a baby, Octavia would wake up to find Lincoln sitting up with her, playing with her little fingers and whispering softly in his native language. Their Lily Belle.

As for her powers… Well, Octavia had, in fact, freaked out when her they'd manifested. Lily had been about one and half when it had happened for the first time, when she'd first felt it. She would teleport without meaning to, without even being aware of it sometimes. One minute she was at the Rig, the next she'd disappeared and ended up somewhere else. She would go to sleep peacefully (as peacefully as one can sleep with a small baby) on her bed beside Lincoln and she would wake up on stony shore of the mainland.

At some point, in a time of despair, when her powers had been out of control, she'd even considered leaving her family, but had quickly changed her mind. She couldn't abandon her child or her love. So, she fought hard and she gained control over it. And true as ever to his word, Lincoln had never left ever side. He'd been her rock through all of it. Even when everybody at the Rig stared at her like she was a freak.

She had full control over her powers now, and only used them when she absolutely needed to. Not that it was all bad. As the mother of a very young child, Octavia found it useful to know beforehand when said child was up to no good, and to be able to stop her before she did something naughty. Lincoln was a different matter, however. He'd made her promise to never read his mind, which she understood and respected. She wouldn't like to have someone digging through her thoughts either, even if it was someone she loved and trusted. In fact, Octavia tried as hard as she could to stay out of other people's minds entirely.

They had radio at Rig, that they used to communicate with Arkadia. It was through it that they found out about what was happening on the outside world. Miller and Bryan had gotten married a few months after the end of the war against Alie, and Kane and Abby were set to be the next ones going down the aisle. Meanwhile in Polis, Luna was still the Commander. She was beloved by the people, though most of them still didn't agree with the _jus drein no jus daun_ _ ***3**_ politics. And a new _Fleimkepa_ had been chosen, since Clarke had remained in Polis to perform her duties as the Skaikru Ambassador.

One day, they'd received word over the radio that Bellamy was coming over to visit. When he'd heard about the baby, that he was going to become an uncle, he'd decided to go back to the Rig and see his little sister. He'd brought over some stuff he'd managed to scrounge up from the Arkers. An assortment of baby and pregnancy paraphernalia: baby clothes, a couple of pacifiers, a rattle and some other toys, her own toy from when Octavia was young, a pregnancy book, a book of baby names, and some Prenatal vitamins that Abby had sent. She and Lincoln had read the pregnancy book together. Lincoln had seemed utterly fascinated as they learned more about pregnancies and babies.

Bellamy had also brought Octavia and Lincoln their stuff from their room in Arkadia, including Lincoln's book. For which she was especially grateful for, she loved watching him draw, and it made him so happy to do it. Lincoln would draw whenever he had any free time. Pictures of herself, of Lily, of the people at the Rig, of several objects. He would draw anyone and anything he could.

A sharp kick brought her back to the present. She opened her eyes and rubbed her bulging belly softly. Octavia was almost full-term with their second child. Every night, just like when she'd been pregnant with Lily, Lincoln would cuddle up behind her and place a hand on her belly as they slept.

The wise older women told her that, by the way she was carrying, it was going to be a boy. She was going to name him Kai, after the sea. Octavia had recognized the symptoms at once, she'd had them with Lily too – the nausea, the fatigue, the tender and swollen breasts, and perhaps most incriminating of all, the lack of menstruation. Kai kicked her again. He'd begun to kick a lot lately. Maybe he was just anxious to get outside and meet his family.

Lincoln dismissed the other children after their task was done and they ran off back inside, passing by Octavia. She watched, with a smile on her lips, as Lincoln and Lily playfully wrestled for a couple of minutes. He grabbed her and tickled her relentlessly. Then, he picked her up high in the air and Lily shrieked in delight. Lincoln settled their daughter on his hip and carried her over to Octavia.

"Let's go see Mama," he told her.

Halfway, Lincoln set her down and the little girl ran toward her mother.

"I caught a fish, Mama," Lily informed her happily when she got there, her dimples showing.

Octavia took one of Lily's gorgeous brown curls and twirled it with her fingers. She fake gasped in admiration. "Did you?"

Her baby girl nodded very seriously, her brown eyes gazing at her earnestly. "Uh-uh."

"Well, we better go cook it, then," Octavia told her. Then, she patted her stomach. "Your baby brother's hungry."

Lily patted Octavia's belly very gently, dropped a kiss on it and said, "Hey, baby brother."

Lincoln watched their interaction with an amused grin. He loved his girls so much. He would do anything for them.

"Go tell Cassian to start the fire," he instructed. Then, added playfully, "and to get ready to _gut_ some fish."

Their little girl squealed and ran inside, leaving her parents alone. They both laughed as they watched her go.

Lincoln leaned down to kiss Octavia's protruding stomach. The fears that had plagued him when she'd been pregnant with Lily didn't affect him with this pregnancy. "Hey, you." Then, he pulled himself up to lay a gentle kiss on her welcoming lips. "And hey, you."

Their lips met again, in a passionate kiss. He was pressing up against her as best as he could.

Suddenly, he pulled away, surprised.

"Ooh, kicking again," he said in wonder, a hand on her belly.

She looked down, placing her hand over his. "Yeah, he's been really active lately. I think he's almost ready to meet us."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

She nodded. "Mhm, it's nearly time."

Lincoln smiled. Their baby was almost here.

He put an arm over her shoulders. "Come on, we should go check on Lily."

Octavia leaned her tired head on him as they walked – or in her case, waddled – back inside.

Soon enough, they would have their baby boy in their arms, and their family would be one step closer to being complete. They both smiled and sighed happily.

Their perfect little family.

* * *

 ***1** – "(…) father."

 ***2** – "(…) home."

 ***3** – "(…) blood must not have blood."


End file.
